Crime prevention operations that focus on the criminal, their support networks, and methodologies can have significant benefits for security managers, and public safety professionals. This post will identify the benefits of such a focus, and how this can benefit security management, public safety, and crime prevention.

To illustrate the benefits, I will use a case study that was published on this website. But to summarize, in 2017 the Canberra suburb of Kambah had the dubious reputation for having the highest burglary crime rate in all of Canberra. To reduce burglary crime, I decided to utilise a method that I had successfully used against gangs, armed robbers, terrorists, and insurgents. Although obviously there would have to be changes to suit a residential area in Australia’s capital city. The solution required the deliberate and detailed focus on the Threat Actor, in this case burglars. A more in-depth summary can be found by following the below link: https://anshinconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Anshin-Consulting-Kambah-Case-Study.pdf

Through observation and engagement of the various deviant communities, I was able to identify weaknesses in peer and social networks within the ‘gangs’. Also, it was possible to observe the planning, preparation and intelligence gathering that potential burglars utilised. This information provided the basis for the development of interventions to counter burglar development and methodologies.

Interventions included directed information disseminated through the community group Neighbourhood Watch (NHW). This information included descriptions of the specific methodologies local burglars were using. For examples, how deviants identified their target house, where the burglars would leave their getaway vehicle, and how they conducted their surveillance. Residents were provided with ways and means to identify burglars in the process of planning their burglary, and ways to disturb the burglar during the burglar preparation and intelligence gathering phases.

This knowledge gave residents the ability to know who was in the vicinity with an intention to commit burglary, signs to watch for that would show when they would commit burglary, how they would go about their preparation and surveillance prior to committing burglary, and what to do about it. All before the burglar set foot on a property.

Benefits of using this methodology are:

Cost effective

By understanding the various beliefs and behaviours of Threat Actors and the communities that supported them, interventions can be specifically identified, developed, and targeted. This means that interventions can be specifically directed, and by extension, cost-effective. In addition, interventions can be evaluated in real time, and if necessary adapted to enhance efficiency.

Example:

The operation required approximately 40hrs of consulting time to determine the various beliefs and behaviors of the deviant communities.

The local community provided the observation sources and required no financial renumeration.

In 2011 the Australian Institute of Criminology calculated that the individual cost of burglary crime at $3,839 per incident, including intangibles. However, this costing did not include the use of police resources to investigate the crime, or the cost of putting a suspect through the judicial system, nor the cost of incarceration.

Exhaustive research failed to identify any other possible causes for the decrease in burglary crime.

The interventions were found to cause a 42% drop in burglary crime.

Efficient

The allocation of resources can be determined by the methodology that is observed to be used by the Threat Actor. Resources can then be specific and localised to the specific Threat Actor.

Example:

One of the interventions developed was a called a ‘high risk newsletter’ which was delivered to small neighbourhoods that had suffered repeat victimisation. This newsletter specifically identified how burglars were conducting their activities. These newsletters were also given to local youth gangs in the area.

Below is a quote from a former self acknowledged burglar.

“If you had walked up to us and handed each of us a newsletter of this type, I would not want to go back to this area for a long time. This says exactly what we used to do. I would be worried that you, or some of the neighbors would be watching all the time.”

This quote explains the reaction by the various groups of deviants, on identifying that their methodologies were known. They appeared to cease their burglary activities. Or if they wished to continue, they would have to move out of the area, as well as develop alternative methodologies.

There was no repeat victimization, during the program period, of any area that these newsletters were distributed in.

Active management

Knowing what is about to happen, where it will happen, how it will happen, and by whom, allows for pro-active agile actions to take place.

Examples:

Knowing where burglars would leave their getaway vehicles (most often bikes in this case) provided residents with the knowledge that burglars were working in their immediate area. This increased active and immediate counter-surveillance applied on the potential burglars. Based on feedback from resident observers, the effect was that burglars left the area.

Seizing the initiative

Early intervention in the Threat Actor’s development cycle, in preparation and intelligence gathering process, requires that the actor develop new and untested methodologies. This increases the risk to the Threat Actor, and ultimately, puts control of situations into the hands of the security manager.

Example:

The combination of the varying interventions used in this program meant that there was a significant increase in the risk of identification to deviants. An extreme fear of the deviant communities.

Although difficult to determine accurately, it is reasonable to assess that committed burglars moved to other areas. Whilst less committed deviants give up their deviant beliefs and behaviours. Given the dramatic reduction in burglary crime of 42%, and the increase in possible displacement crime of 10%, it could appear that many deviants gave up their acts of burglary.

As can be seen from the above, focusing on the Threat Actor can have substantial benefits for security management, public safety, and crime prevention. For the organisation seeking cost effectiveness and efficiency, the specific nature of selected interventions applicable to the local Threat Actor can bring substantial returns.

Active Management provides security management with the knowledge of who will attack, when they will attack, how and why they will attack. Allowing for interventions to be timely and specific to the location and Threat Actor.

In addition, when the organisation seizes the initiative, it gains control over those that intend to harm the organisation. The Threat Actor must ‘go back to the drawing board’ if they wish to avoid apprehension.

Reference

Trask, S. (2017, March 6). Canberra’s crime hotspots revealed. The Canberra Times.

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6035774/canberras-crime-hotspots-revealed/

Smith R et al. 2014. Counting the costs of crime in Australia: A 2011 estimate. Research and public policy series no. 129. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology.

https://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rpp/rpp129

Link to the case study:

https://anshinconsulting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Anshin-Consulting-Kambah-Case-Study.pdf

The methodology describe above has been peer reviewed and published in the Journal of Applied Security Research. You can read the entire article by following the below link:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19361610.2021.1956268?src=